Being Part of the NCIS Family

One

McGee POV
A little over six months after Liv was nearly killed, she surprised us by coming back to work a week early.

"Doc cleared me for work. I wanted to surprise y'all! Did it work?" We just nodded and gave her bear hugs. "Abby! Abby will kill me if I don't go down. Then I've got to see Ducky and Jimmy. Back in a little while!" Liv called, dropping her stuff at her desk and heading to the elevator. I shook my head. She had a lot of energy from being cooped up.

Liv POV
As I stood in the elevator going to Abby's lab, I rubbed my gunshot wound absentmindedly. A little to the left and I'd have been on one of Ducky's tables. I shuddered at the thought. As the elevator door opened, I heard loud music playing. Perfect. I saw Abby working away at her computer and something was up on the screen, too. I crept up behind her and wrapped my arms around her.

"Guess who!" I said, laughing as Abby struggled and then realized it was me. I let go and she whirled around and tackled me in a hug.

"You're early! Are you sure you're okay?" I nodded, laughing.

"Doc cleared me yesterday. He recommended that I wait a day or two, but you know I can't do that." Abby nodded.

"Just promise me you'll try and take it easy, okay?" Abby said, begging with her face. I nodded and hugged her.

"I'll sure try. No promises, though. I am a federal agent, after all." Abby nodded. "I've got to see Ducky and Jimmy. They'd murder me if I didn't go see them." Abby nodded, laughing. "See ya later, alligator."

"In a while, crocodile." came her response as I got back into the elevator. My gunshot wound was aching a little, but I figured an Advil or two would do it. I stepped off the elevator and heard the familiar swoosh of the doors to autopsy open.

"Olivia! You're back!" came Ducky's wonderful accent. I smiled.

"Liv! You're early!" said Jimmy. As he said that, I was enveloped in a hug. Ducky had just been about to start an autopsy and hadn't had any of his scrubs on. Jimmy's hug came next.

"May I do a check over on you, my dear?" Ducky asked.

"Doc cleared me yesterday, but sure." I answered, hopping up onto a vacant table. I pulled off my Tshirt at Ducky's request to take a peek at the entry wound. The bullet hadn't gone straight through, it had shattered a rib and bounced around my ribcage, finally lodging itself in a lung. I had originally had an estimate of eight months bedrest, but I'd been up after five months and back after another month. I'm pretty tough, apparently, even as Marines go.

Ducky was poking around and pronounced me fit to serve.

"Thanks, Ducky." I said, pulling my shirt back on. I hopped off the table and gave him a hug and then walked over to the body on the next table over.

"Who's this poor shmuck?" I asked.

"I'll let Jethro fill you in on him." Ducky said. I nodded and started heading to the elevator. "It's so good to see you again, dear." I turned.

"I missed this place so much." I said. I turned back to the elevator and got in. I punched a number and when the doors opened again, I was back in the bullpen. "Talk to me, I missed the filling in session." I said as I walked over.

"Yes Mini-Boss!" Tony barked. Quick as lightning, I jumped on his back and got him in a headlock.

"Did you just call me little, DiNoying?" I felt him gulp. I grinned and climbed down. I went around to the front of Tony and tackled him again, this time in a hug. "I've got to let my energy off somehow, don't I Tony?" I asked, smiling. I felt him wrap his arms around me.

"It's good to have you back, midget."

"Call me that again, and I can kill you easily. I know all the pressure points." I whispered in his ear. I felt someone else join our hug, and then another, and then one last person. It was Gibbs, Ziva, and Tim.

"We missed you." said Tim softly.

"Really missed you." added Gibbs.

"Now we can get back to normal." finished Ziva. I nodded. Our little family was back together again.